The present disclosure relates to a coating method and a corresponding coating installation for coating components with a coating agent, e.g., for painting motor vehicle body parts with a paint.
In modern painting installations for painting motor vehicle body parts, multi-axis painting robots are generally used, which guide a rotary atomizer as an application unit. The painting robot guides the rotary atomizer over the component surface along programmed paths, the paths typically being placed in rows in a meandering manner. Alternatively, it is also possible for the component to be coated to be moved past the atomizer by means of suitable conveying technology or by a robot. In contrast to painting machines used previously (e.g. roof machines and lateral machines), painting robots of this type can track paths very flexibly. Furthermore, the use of painting robots means that the number of rotary atomizers can be greatly reduced, which leads however to higher demands on output per unit area and thus also on painting speed.
When the rotary atomizer is moved by the painting robot, the outflow quantity (i.e. the paint flow) and the guide air flow may be modified dynamically to achieve an optimal painting result. For example, only a little guide air, or no guide air at all, is applied if painting is desired over a wide area, for example when painting components of motor vehicle body parts with a large surface area (e.g. bonnet, roof area). During detailed painting, however, a relatively large guide air flow is output to constrict the spray jet.
In conventional painting installations, the rotational speed of the rotary atomizer and the high voltage of the electrostatic coating agent charging are generally kept constant by means of a regulation system. There was therefore no dynamic adaptation of rotational speed and high voltage during movement of the atomizer in the known painting installations, but merely dynamic adaptation of the fluidic operating variables such as paint flow and guide air flow. Although the high voltage of the electrostatic coating agent charging can also be changed in the known coating installations, this was not possible dynamically, but only between successive motor vehicle bodies.
A disadvantage of the conventional painting installations is therefore the unsatisfactory flexibility and dynamics when painting.
Accordingly, there is a need for a correspondingly improved painting installation.